Well I am Death None Can Excel
by DWAR
Summary: What if their was a being that surpassed the power of the Man In the Moon? And what if this being was displeased with the nature of the Guardian's victory over Pitch Black? For a world filled with only wonder and light is just as dangerous as a world filled with only fear. To maintain the balance, one must coexist with the other.
1. My Name is Death and the End is Here

Though many beings would view the victory of the Guardians as something that would guarantee the safety of children throughout the world, there was one particular entity who believed that the world was worse off from being spared the attentions of the recently defeated Pitch Black.

While the being easily acknowledged that the Boogey Man had gone too far in his quest to reclaim the power he once wielded, that did not mean that his intentions carried a bit of truth.

The force of nature clearly recalled the years when Pitch had been at the height of his power, ensuring that the children of the world lived in a constant atmosphere of fear. But unlike the Man in the Moon, who had looked down in disapproval at a world that was sparse with wonder, hope and light, the more powerful being, who at least spent a considerable amount of time amongst the mortals of the world, actually approved of Pitch's influence, in moderate degree's at least.

The world was always filled with danger, and if one was careless enough to ignore this very clear message, then it was certain tragedy would soon follow. In an era where the lives of children were already uncertain, the Boogey Man had been a useful agent in ensuring that a child would be able to reach their adult years.

Sure he couldn't do much to combat such factors like disease, war, and starvation, which the being had seen countless times since assuming it's important duties, but Pitch could at least make children afraid of challenging the advice of their elders, who for most part did their very best to keep their children safe from harm.

But after the rise of the so called Guardians, the being had witnessed the effects of wonder, hope, and light had on the children of the world, leading to an increase of child mortality rates worldwide.

Whereas before children would be frightened to enter the darkened forest that laid outside the boundaries of their village, they now found themselves lost and alone until either starvation, the elements, or hungry animals caused them to become much more acquainted with the shadowy being.

Or where's a child who had previously been unafraid of stealing, whether for reasons of a selfless nature or something more self-serving, now faced the often heavy penalties for their often dangerous actions.

All of these things could be attributed to the influence of the Guardians, but what they failed to realize was that their efforts to vanquish the fear of children only served to increase the terror of children once they met their end.

And while the entity did not pay much thought to such ridiculous mortal notions of good and evil, it did nonetheless believe in balance, and thanks to the efforts of that boy who had escaped it's grasp thanks to the efforts of the Man in the Moon, the balance between light and darkness remained uneven.

So it was with that intent that the entity, who as in days long past created a physical avatar to once again walk the mortal world, silently walked through the gloomy tunnels that led to the heart of Pitch's domain.

…

As soon as his nightmares halted their attempts to push him over the edge with fear, the Boogey Man knew that something was wrong.

For in their making he had bestowed upon them a certain degree of sentience, for what better way would they be able to sniff out a person's fear, and for them to suddenly stop meant that they had just been given an opportunity to feast on the fears on a new target.

But as he stretched out his senses to gain a hint on who this person was, a useful ability that aided him in determining a person's greatest fear, Pitch's momentarily relief soon turned into growing unease as he felt the very real power that was wafting off of his unexpected visitor.

But would truly scared him was the feelings of fear that seemed to cling to this person like an impenetrable blanket, for only a truly powerful individual could be surrounded in fear that was not their own. And as the being stepped into view, causing the surrounding nightmares to flee in a cloud of blackened sand, the Boogey Man quickly realized who had come to his rescue.

"Hello Death".

...

 **Just a little thought I've had for a while. Not sure whether I'll leave this as a one shot…but will see. Hopefully you all enjoyed this.**


	2. Who'll Have Mercy on Your Soul

Doing his best to contain the nervousness he felt from being in the presence of one of the few beings in existence whose powers surpassed that of the Man in the Moon, Pitch made sure that his voice carried nothing but respect as he addressed the silently watching entity.

"I must say, I wasn't expecting for you of all people to come to my rescue. But I am most gratef"

"I did not save you for your sake Pitch Black. So if you wish to cling to your meagre existence a while longer, I suggest you keep silent until I have finished explaining why I am here".

Wisely keeping his mouth shut after that mild, but no less deadly rebuke, Pitch listened with an air of nervous attentiveness as the robed being proceeded to inform him of the reason for its intervention.

"I have had my eye on you for some time now Pitch Black, and I must say that I am extremely disappointed by your actions. Using the powers the moon man gave you to become all powerful, putting innocent children in danger just because you feel cheated, and robbing the Guardians of their ability to perform their chosen function. All of which is something that I do not approve of".

He was sure that if it hadn't been for Death's presence, he would have been torn to pieces by his nightmares by now. For it was never a good thing to have a force of nature displeased with his actions, and as he had just discovered, he had managed to piss off the most powerful force of nature there was.

"However, while your own actions are far from praise worthy, the same could be said for those the Moon has seen fit to steal from my clutches".

Eye's widening in disbelief at what he just heard, Pitch couldn't help the small gasp that passed his lips, something which managed to seemingly escape his robed victor's notice.

"While they have their use in ensuring that the soul's I collect aren't overly tainted by the rigors of their brief period of existence, the fact remains that because of their inability to properly maintain the balance means that far too many of them are forced to make my acquaintance before they have reached the natural extent of their lives".

Pointing a thin, almost skeletal finger at the boogey man, Death allowed a small portion of its power to briefly glow in its sunken eyes as a warning to the recovering Pitch.

"Make no mistake Pitch Black. Your actions are also inexcusable. And if it wasn't for the fact that your needed to create the balance I seek, then you and I would be meeting on far different terms then we are now".

Feeling the blood drain from his already ashen face as he endured the anger of the oldest and most powerful being in existence, Pitch fell to his knees in utter terror as a familiar tool materialized into Death's right hand.

With a quick slash that was near impossible for his eyes to follow, the boogey man watched in fearful wonderment as Death's scythe created a swirling portal of shadow before gesturing with his hand.

"Come Pitch Black. It is time for me to have a little chat with the one's responsible for your current…condition. And it is a conversation that I would have you be part of".

Knowing that it was pointless to refuse, and secretly gladdened that he was not the only one who had managed to irritate the one being who all human's believed in, Pitch quickly moved to follow the being's order.

For as he knew, Death was always prompt in arriving on time for it's appointments, and god help the poor soul who had the nerve to try and alter Death's already busy schedule.

...

 **And thats another chapter for done :)**

 **Next time will see how the rest of the Guardians deal with the Death at their door :)**


	3. Won't You Spare Me Over Til Another Year

It had taken some doing, but thanks to the generous amount of help he had received from his friends, though in truth he could have done without the aid North's non Yeti workforce, the Warren had quickly been restored to its former glory, and with that Bunnymund could finally allow himself to relax.

He still felt awful for blaming Jack for the destruction of his eggs, a feeling made even worse after the new Guardian had managed to convince children to believe in the Easter Bunny once again, but the Guardian of Fun thankfully didn't hold a grudge. Recognizing that it had been an emotional experience for the Pooka, and had quickly forgiven him.

With that thought in mind, and with loads of times to spare since it was still 9 months until Easter, Bunnymund had decided to spend some time away from his recently restored warren, and spend some time in the company of the spirit responsible for turning winter into a fun time for children.

However, just as he finished making preparations to leave his beloved home, the calm warm feeling of the Warren was soon filled with an aura that had no business belonging in the headquarters of the being who brought hope to children.

Quickly reaching for his trusty boomerangs, Bunnymund adopted a stance that indicated that he was ready for whatever being that dared tangle with him.

He didn't have to wait long.

For emerging from out of a swirling vortex of utter blackness was none other than the boogeyman himself.

Though shocked at the fact Pitch had managed to recover enough strength in so little time, that didn't stop the blue furred Pooka from acting like his usual self.

"Thought you would have learned your lesson last time mate, but I'm more than willing to remind you why it's not wise to mess with a rabbit".

Smirking as he received a glare from the ashen gray spirit, Bunnymund's earlier display of confidence quickly evaporated as a cold, emotionless voice announced that another being being had joined their unexpected reunion.

"Oh I'm quite sure he has learned his lesson. However I find myself wondering whether you possess the same ability to learn from your mistakes. Would be quite unfortunate if I had to waste more of my time trying to find a replacement for the Guardian responsible for bringing hope to the children of the world".

Eye's widening in terror as he recognized the being that stepped forth from the vortex, for every animal in the world, even the magical ones, could hardly fail to recognize Death even if it chose to take on a new form, Bunnymund tightened his grip on his trusty boomerang, only to gasp in horror as it dissolved into nothing.

"I would appreciate if you didn't try to make a greater fool of yourself than you've already done Bunnymund. I am a patient being, but even I can grow tired of waiting for someone to come to their senses. So the next time you feel the desire to resort to violence, keep in mind that I can cause a limb to wither into dust just as easily as a weaponized piece of wood".

Gulping in fear before he slowly nodded to show that he understood the warning given to him by the now sitting being, Bunnymund could only watch in near silence as Death briefly turned his attention towards the now standing Boogeyman.

"Their you see Pitch Black, the Easter Bunny can be quite reasonable once he has been provided with the proper motivation. Do keep that in mind the next time your jealousy for what he possesses threatens to reduce him in size again".

Receiving a brief nod of total acceptance from the paler than usual Pitch, Death turned the full weight of its stare back towards the waiting Pooka.

"Now then, I trust that like that overgrown child, you too have a way in which to summon your fellow Guardians to your aid"?

Though somewhat confused by Death's question, and doing his best to conceal the faint feelings of amusement at Death's rather blunt description of North, Bunnymund nevertheless found himself nodding his head at the entity's question.

"Y..yeah I do. Though I gotta warn ya, the 5 of us together are strong enough to put up a good fight against even someone like you".

Realizing that he might have just given Death enough motivation to kill him, the Australian sounding Easter Bunny was only partially relieved by the robed beings reply to his idiotic boasting.

"I rather doubt that, though it amuses me greatly that you think the 5 of you could last more than a minute against me. I'm sure you've heard the expression before, but Death always wins. But enough small talk. I have a busy schedule to keep, so in order to save myself from having to enduring the same conversation a further 4 times, you will summon your compatriots to your charming little hole in the ground".

Obeying the coolly expressed command of the now sitting being, Bunnymund could only hope that whatever business Death had with the rest of the Guardians, they would be allowed to continue breathing once the robed being's business had been concluded.

...

 **And thats enough for now :)**

 **Tell me what you think :)**


	4. Ice Cold Hands Taking Hold of Me

Though he knew his fellow guardian's largely poked fun of his trouble sensing belly, North had never doubted in its ability to warn him from danger, and had over the years come to identify what all the sensations meant.

If it rumbled, and he had already eaten, that meant that some child was close to losing their ability to look at the world in wonder. That particular feeling had been quite a normal occurrence during the 20th century, what with humanity's penchant to spread suffering across the globe, but thankfully he had experienced nothing similar to his 6 years of tummy troubles for the past 7 decades.

If his belly experienced a stabbing sensation, that meant that some child was in danger of no longer believing him long before they were ready. That particular feeling had intense during the last struggle against Pitch, but thanks to the aid of their new fellow guardian, the boogey man had been defeated and the stabbing sensation had gone away

But the most troublesome feeling his belly ever experienced, for he had rarely felt it during the course of his existence, was the sensation that something was eating him from the inside out, and that was the sensation that was currently coursing through him at this very moment.

But before the tattooed toymaker could begin to wonder what had caused this feeling, Phil burst through his workroom doors with a worried expression on his face.

"What is it Phil? Is their a problem with the globe"?

Frowning as the large yeti shook his head, North's troubled expression grew tenfold as he was presented with Bunny's version of his distress signal.

While lacking the same majestic artistry of his northern lights, the offered egg was nonetheless served as a useful means of communication. If he was presented with a blue egg that looked like an elf had practiced their artistic skills upon it, then he knew that Bunny was inviting them for a party. If the egg was green, it meant that he needed help with his Easter hunts, usually by adding a bit of wonder to the children as they sought their prize.

But the color of this egg was different.

For as the Guardian of hope, only one color could be used to signal his distress. So it was with a wide eyed expression that he accepted the solid black egg with the solemnity it deserved.

Sparing only a moment to wonder what could have caused Bunny to feel worried enough to send him this egg, North was soon barreling out his door to find the tools he felt where needed for this situation.

His swords, and a magic snow globe.

...

 **Its short I know. But writers block, life, and other stories have snagged my attention :)**

 **Merry Christmas everyone, hope to upload some time soon in the new year.**


	5. Well What Is This That I Can't See

Despite the fact that he was certain that his emergency distress eggs had all been successfully delivered to all of his fellow Guardians, for they would have immediately returned back to the Warren if that wasn't the case, Bunnymund knew that even the combined powers of the Guardian's was no match for force of nature that was calmly sitting down on the only boulder that had not been covered in moss.

Hell, it had taken everything thing they had to take on Pitch during his last attempt to bring fear into the world, and even then they had only managed to win by the barest of margins.

Such was not the case now.

"Though I appreciate the fact that the smaller members of your species are a rather skittish lot, I suggest that you stop your incessant pacing Bunnymund. While I am far from pleased with you, I assure you that I currently have no intention of meeting you in my official capacity. So do yourself a favor and sit down".

Offering up a nervous chuckle as he complied with the robed being's order, and taking some comfort in the fact that Death explicitly stated that he wasn't immediately destined to become more personally acquainted with the dirt beneath his feet, the Easter Bunny had to fight the very real urge to scowl as Pitch decided to take the opportunity to try for a little revenge.

"You're right to be nervous rabbit. While I am unsure as to the eventual fate of you so called Guardians, I am certain that I will enjoy the spectacle of seeing you being reminded of your proper place in the world".

Shooting an angry glare at the smirking Boogey Man, Bunnymund was prevented from putting the grey skinned man in his placed by Death's unexpected interference.

"I do believe Pitch Black that I've voiced my opinions regarding your last little cry for attention. So I would appreciate it if you could keep your inflated sense of importance under control".

Fighting the very real urge to laugh at the terrified expression of the self proclaimed Prince of Fear, for the first time since his unwanted visitors had made their appearance, Bunnymund felt an odd sense of comfort.

Yes the Boogeyman, and more importantly Death were in his Warren.

And yes Death was inspiring him to feel more terror than he felt when Pitch's latest scheme had robbed him of his power to protect the children of the world.

But the fact remained, that despite having Pitch as a travelling companion, the robed being did not hesitate to put the King of Nightmares in his place when he tried to pull off his usual fear routine.

It wasn't much, but considering the fact that the robed being represented perhaps the only thing in existence that could not be beaten, Bunnymund would take it as a sign that Death was willing to express fairness during this meeting.

He could only hope that his fellow Guardians would also share this particular reasoning.

For as skilled and powerful as they were, Death would always triumphant.

…

Despite the fact that he was the personification of winter, albeit the fun aspects of it, as they drew closer and closer to the strangely silent Warren, Jack Frost couldn't help the unpleasant chill that continued to crawl up his spine.

Having received the same black colored egg as the rest of the guardians, the winter spirit had immediately forgotten his efforts to make the first snow day of the season, and had raced to Bunnymund's private island.

Only when he had gotten there, he was shocked to see the state of his fellow Guardians.

Tooth was acting far more jittery than usual. In fact if she didn't calm down she was probably gonna give herself a heartattack.

Sandy possessed a look of nervousness that managed to surpass the expression he had worn when being consumed by Pitch's black sand.

And North, who normally possessed an aura of confidence, even when faced with the most dire of situations, was wearing an expression of fear that could send even the most feeble of nightmares into a frenzy.

With his fellow Guardian's wearing such expressions of fear and unease, along with Bunnymund's distress egg and his own growing anxiety, Jack could only wonder what they were about to face.

And hope that they possessed the power to overcome this new challenge once and for all.

…..

Knowing that it would take the newly arrived Guardians some time to enter their comrades warren, most likely due to the need to try and come up with an idea on how to face this potential threat, not that it would do them any good since the being that awaited them was a force of nature that was fated to be everywhere and meet everyone, Death allowed itself a moment to mull over the last moments of each Guardian's life before being transformed by the Man in the Moon.

The man who was commonly known as Santa Claus had once lived in a nameless village that existed in the northern regions of the country that human's called Russia. Despite coming from an abusive household, and living in a childless, but nevertheless loving marriage, the burly man had established a well deserved reputation as a toy maker, with a fondness for raising the spirits of any children he came across, whether they be rich and poor.

However, despite his desire to bring happiness to children, which more often than not also managed to inspire increased feelings of love between family members and their friends, his generosity did little to offset the conditions of living in a cold land that had a tendency to produce cold rulers.

It was a state of affairs that Death had seen played out countless times over the course of human history.

An insecure, but greedy ruler wishing to further cement their power by sending moralless men to force the people to part with their treasured possession, while at the same time making a point to remind them of their place at the bottom of the society's social ladder.

The middle aged man successfully did his best to protect the lives of those who were truly innocent by buying them time to safely flee from their tormentors. But at the cost of his life.

It had been one of the more worthwhile lives Death had taken during the course of the millennia, though thanks to the Man in the Moon, that death had been all too temporary.

The woman who had become the Tooth Fairy was, when compared to the Russian male, was less impressive in both life and manner of death, and yet the robed being could understand why she had been granted a chance at a new life.

A doting, if somewhat overly protective mother, at least by the standards of the day, the middle aged woman had died as a result of the common factors of the time, poor nutrition, unsanitary living conditions, and medical treatments that were far less effective than intended. But despite these conditions, the woman had done her best to look after her children, and it was for this reason why the Man in the Moon gave her a second chance.

On the other hand, Jack, and to a lesser extend the Sandman, possessed traits that were far less worthy of getting resurrected.

While possessing the ability to inspire imagination and other light hearted sensations within the people he came across, the Sandman was largely a solitary person. Sharing his stories with those who he met, but never actively seeking out people due to the fact that he preferred to be alone. His death could have been prevented if he had been a more social person, but sadly, his homestead was far off the beaten path, meaning that his broken leg was allowed to fester until Death finally decided to put him out of his misery.

The boy known as Jack Frost was even worse, for though he possessed a fun loving, and caring personality, only his younger sister ever seemed to benefit from this, with the most noteworthy example being how Jack managed to replace the sibling Death had originally come to collect.

Of course due to the nature of it's job, Death had accepted this state of events since it had been fated that that family would experience the loss of a child that cold winters day. But once again, the Man in the Moon had decided to intervene by resurrecting the boy into a new spirit. One that had little comprehension of just how dangerous his powers could be.

Death knew that the Guardian's would probably betray their mortal origins by refusing to acknowledge that they were powerless against the being who could never be defeated. But it mattered not, for in the end death would win.

For it was a universal truth that no matter how long it took, or how long a person struggled, Death would always win.

…..

 **Sorry for the wait. Hopefully you all enjoyed this =)**


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